Many experimental or diagnostic procedures in the chemical, biological, and biochemical arts require the use of samples or reagents. Samples and reagents often need to be stored and dispensed in a standard, predicable, and reliable manner, especially for many automated assay systems. Storage and dispensing devices used in such automated systems, however, are less than ideal in many circumstances. Many currently available storage and dispensing devices can be difficult to manufacture and may have reliability issues that necessitate frequent repair. Accordingly, such devices may be expensive to purchase and maintain. In many cases, such devices are prohibitively expensively for many diagnostic or other applications. These applications may include the rapid, low-cost sequencing of an individual's whole or partial genome and the rapid and reliable detection of infectious diseases or biological agents (for example, Anthrax and the like). There are therefore needs for low-cost, reliable reagent storage and dispensing devices and systems that address at least some of the above challenges.